That’s a lot of $9 daily gate passes! Fees add up to millions for Hilton Head’s Sea Pines
If you handed money to a uniformed attendant at one of Sea Pines’ gate houses in 2022, your cash is part of the $3.89 million the community made from daily gate pass fees that year, according to an annual income statement.
That’s about $10,671 per day.
Sea Pines, located on the south end of Hilton Head Island, earned less from daily gate pass fees in 2022 than in 2021, when it made $3.92 million.
Sea Pines Community Service Associates issued about 386,000 passes in 2022, according to director of communications Amanda Sutcliffe-Jones.
The fees offset “increased costs incurred by Property Owners to provide services to casual visitors,” according to CSA’s policy. The policy said the fees also go toward road maintenance, transportation, security, leisure trails and administration.
The CSA enforces the gate policy, which can be amended by their board of directors and must be approved by The Sea Pines Center and The Sea Pines Resort. The CSA’s role is “to protect, maintain, and enhance the resources of Sea Pines for the benefit of the Sea Pines Community,” according to their website.
What are the fees?
For $9 in cash per vehicle, “casual daily visitors” can enter Sea Pines. Commercial vehicles pay $15, and buses and tour vehicles pay $30. Property owners don’t have to pay this fee and can request free passes for their guests.
The fee includes access to bike and walking trails, restaurants and shops. However, day pass visitors are excluded from property owner amenities such as community centers, lagoons, and private beaches not identified as public access locations, according to Sea Pines policy.
The daily visitor fee increased from $8 to $9 in 2020, and the commercial daily visitor rate changed from $10 to $15 at the start of 2023. According to a gate fee agreement negotiated in 2018 between Sea Pines’ CSA, The Sea Pines Center and The Sea Pines Resort, the daily gate fee may eventually be increased to $10.
This story has been updated to reflect actual numbers instead of budgeted numbers.
This story was originally published January 10, 2023 at 8:00 AM.
